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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stem · bank · bass · wind · rash · cell · deal · rule

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. bank — for money
  3. cell — a phone
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. bank — for money
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bank — of a river
  11. wind — moving air
  12. rule — a law
  13. bass — the fish
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. stem — to come from
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. bass — low music
  19. rash — a series
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rule — government
  22. deal — to handle
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. rash — on the skin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com